The mother of the convicted prisoner Gampala Widanage Samantha Kumara alias Wele Suda has filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking an order directing prison authorities to take appropriate steps necessary to ensure the safety of her son while he is in prison custody.
The Petitioner Rajagalgoda Gamage Malani, a resident of Dehiwala said, she is filing this application given the grave urgency on account of imminent danger to the life of her son Samantha Kumara.
The Petitioner states that several other persons alleged to be leading underworld figures in Sri Lanka have recently been killed while in police custody, namely Dineth Melan alias Uru Juwa on or about 11 May 2021, and Tharaka Wijesekera alias Kosgoda Tharaka on or about 13th May 2021.
The Petitioner states that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has condemned the said killings, stating that they have all the hallmarks of extrajudicial killings.
This application is to be taken up for support today (17) because of the grave urgency.
On October 14, 2015, the alleged drug dealer Gampola Vidanage Samantha Kumara alias ‘Wele Suda’ was sentenced to death by Colombo High Court, on the charges of possessing and trafficking 7.05 grams of heroin in Mount Lavinia in 2008.
